brown



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 (No Model.)

B. H. BROWN. SUSPENSION DEVICE FORLAMPS, 8m.

Patented July 28 (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet '2.

E., H BROWN; SUSPENSION DEVICE FOR'LAMPS, &o.

No. 323,293. Patented July 28, 1885.

- v r 9f NITED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

EDWIN H. BROWN, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

SUSPENSION DEVICE FOR LAMPS, 800.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 323,293, dated July 28,1885.

Application filed December 6, 1884.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN H. BROWN, of Brooklyn, in Kings county andState of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement insuspending Devices for Lamps and other Articles, of which the followingis a specification.

I will describe a suspending device embodying my improvement, and thenpoint out the improvement in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figurel is a vertical section of asuspending device embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is an inverted planview of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a suspending deviceembodying my improvement, and showing a modification thereof. Fig. 4 isan inverted plan view of the same, and Fig. 5 is a sec-' tional viewshowing a modification of certain parts.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

A designates a loop, which may be hung on a hook or other appendage of aceiling or other object. This loop is connected to an arbor, B. Asshown, the arbor B has at the upper end a neck, a, or portion of smallerdiameter than the portion below it, and the loop A has a hole or eye,which receives the neck (0 within it. The neck is externallyscrew-threaded, and has a nut, 0, applied to it. The nut O, as shown,has a cylindric body, 0, which extends into the hole or eye of the loopA,and a flange which extends above the lower portion of the loop A.After the nut has been applied to the neck a of the arbor the end of theneck will preferably be upset, to preclude the nut from coming off. Thusthe loop and arbor are secured together with a swivel-joint. The arborcan be turned around relatively to the loop without becoming detachedfrom it. Immediately below the neck a of the arbor B the arbor has acylindric body, 6. Said body is provided with a longitudinal groove, 9.I have shown the body 6 as extending through a sleeve or tube. a. At theupper end said sleeve is provided with a laterallyextending flange orcollar, a rigidly secured thereto. At its lower end the sleeve isprovided with a head or flange, f.

D designates a frame shown as having a por- (No model.)

tion, cl, extending approximately parallel to the upper part of a drum,E, and downwardlyextending portions or arms (1. Near its center theportion at is provided with a hole adapted to receive the screw-threadedneck a of the arbor B. By this means the arbor B may be rigidly securedto the frame D, and the frame is supported upon the cylindric portion 6of the arbor B.

E designates a cylindric drum having flanges t, between which are woundupon it cords or chains F, whereby a lamp or other article may besuspended. This drum,as shown,is closed at the top,with the exception ofacentral hole, enabling it to fit upon the sleeve to. It is provided atthe bottom with a cross piece, 9', through a central aperture in whichalso extends the sleeve a. Said cross-pieceis rigidly secured to thedrum. Instead of one of such cross-pieces,I may use two or more. Thehead or flange f is below the cross-piece j, and in this example of myimprovement is unconnected therewith. The drum E is adapted to rotateabout the sleeve a, and is capable of a vertical movement upon the arborB. The drum is rotated by the unwinding of the cords or chains F fromit. A counter-balance is in= tended to be combined with the drum for thepurpose of resisting the unwinding ot'the cords or chains, and therebysustaining the article attached to the cords or chains. I have shown inthis example of my improvement a counter-balance,G,consisting of aconvolute spring This spring is coiled around the sleeve 11-. One end issecured to the sleeve a by a rivet or otherwise. The rivet preferablyextends through the side of the sleeve c,thereby forming a projectionwithin the sleeve,entering the groove 9 of the body of the arbor. Theother end of the spring is fastened to the interior of the drum byrivets or otherwise. iVhen the drum is rotated in one direction, thespring will be coiled up more closely. \Vhen relieved of the force whichcoiled it and kept it coiled up,it uncoils and rotates the drum in thereverse direction.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, H designates a yoke consisting of anapproximate y straight portion, h, and upwardly-extending arm-likeportions h h". The approximately straight portion h is arranged belowthe drum, and is provided near its center with an aperture, by means ofwhich it is enabled to fit upon the lower portion of the arbor B. A heador flange, Z, on the arbor B serves to retain the yoke upon said arbor.The arm-like portions h h of the device H extend upwardly upon oppositesides of the drum E. The arm his preferably longer than the arm 7L Uponthe upwardly-extending ends of the arms h h are guides for the cords orchains F. These guides, as here shown, consist of pulleys 71?, undereach of which passes one of the said cords or chains. Inasmuch as theseguides are moved bodily upward by the cords or chains, they constitutewhat are known as movable pulleys. Other guides for the cords or chainsF are provided near the ends of the downwardly-extending arms (1 of theframe D. As shown,said guides consist also of pulleys k. Each of thecords or chains is passed over one of these latter pulleys. From thesepulleys the cords or chains F pass to the article to be suspended. Itwill be seen that the weight of the lamp or other article upon the cordsor chains F will cause the yoke to be moved upwardly, and with it thedrum,toward the portion (1 of the frame D. hen the weight upon the cordsor chains F is relieved,the drum will then be relieved from the actionof the brake, and the drum may then rotate freely to rewind the cords orchains.

As shown, the portion (1 of the frame D has upon the under side acircular piece or ring of india-rubber, leather, or like material, R,secured thereto in any suitable manner. This ring forms a brake, whichwill act upon the top of the drum when the drum is moved up sufficientlyfar.

I designates a spring, shown as helical, arranged about the arbor 13within a recess upon the under side of the portion 1 of the frame D, andbearing upon the upper surface of the drum. This spring, when the drumis not otherwise actuated, will keep the drum so depressed that it willnot be subjected to the action of the brake. The drum may, however, beforced upwardly against the resistance of the spring, so that it will beacted upon bythe brake. A similar result to that produced by the springIwould ensue through the action of the counterbalancing convolute springby reason of the tendency of the coils to assume a position in one andthe same plane transverse to the axis of the drum. To enable it to dothis the inner end of the spring will have to be attached to the arbor Blower down than the position the outer coils will occupy when the drumis raised.

I11 the modification of my improvement shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the yoke His omitted, and the pulleys k are preferably arranged in differentplanes-one to accommodate the cord or chain F extending from the upperportion of the drum E, and the other the cord or chain F extending fromthe lower portion of said drum. Said cords or chains pass from the drumand over the pulleys at an upward incline, whereby it will be observedthat the cords or chains bear against the flanges upon the drum whichare about them. Said flanges are preferably inclined upwardly. It isclear that the weight of a lamp or other article upon the cords orchains F will operate to force the drum upward, whereby it may be actedupon by the brake. Obviously, the sleeve a may be omitted in bothexamples of my improvement, in which case the counterbalance-spring Gwould have its inner end secured to the arbor in any suitable manner.Such an arrangement of parts is shown in Fig. 5.

All the various parts of this suspending device may be made of metal,except, possibly, the piece R. In some cases it will be desirable to usebut one cord or chain. Then, in the examples of my improvement shown,but one guide h need be used, and in the example of my improvementillustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 it will be necessary for the yoke H to bepro vided with but a single guide. If the number of cords or chains isincreased, the guides and yokes would be correspondingly augmented.

011 the 12th day of December, 1884, I filed an application for LettersPatent, numbered 150,151, wherein was shown and described a suspendingdevice having an arbor, a rotary drum, cords or chains wound upon thedrum, and passing thence over guides and downwardly to suspend anydesired article, a convolute spring being employed within the drum tocounterbalance the weight of the sus' pended article, and afriction-brake being combined with these elementsin such manner as to berendered effective by the weight of the suspended article. Thus,generally described, the suspending device which formed the subject ofmy application No. 150,151 bore a resemblance to the suspending devicewhich is the subject of my present application.

In the suspending device which is the subject of my application No.150,151 the guides for the cords or chains are arranged upon 1evers,whereby the drum is slid upward along its arbor into contact with abrake above it when the cords or chains are subjected to the weight ofan article attached to them.

I do not in my present application lay any ICO claim to the particularcombination of parts just hereinabove described as distinctive of myapplication No. 150,151.

WVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. In a suspending device for a lamp or other article, the combinationof an arbor, a drum fitted upon said arbor and capable of movinglengthwise and rotating thereon, cords or chains wound upon said drumand adapted to support the lamp or other article, a frame afiixed to thearbor, a brake above the drum, and guides arranged upon the frame forreceiving the cords or chains, and arranged at such elevation relativelyto the drum that the weight of the lamp or other article connected tothe cords or chains will operate to move the drum upwardly toward theframe and render the brake effective, substantially as specified,whereby when the weight of the lamp or other article is removed from thecords or chains the brake will be released.

2. Ina suspending device foralamp or other article, the combination ofan arbor, a drum fitted upon said arbor and capable of moving lengthwiseand rotating thereon, cords or chains wound upon the drum and adapted tosupport the lamp or other article, a frame affixed to the arbor, a brakeabove the drum, guides arranged upon the frame for receiving the cordsor chains, and arranged at such elevation relatively to the drum thatthe weight of the lamp or other article connected to the cords or chainswill operate to cause the drum to move upwardly and the brake to berendered effective, and a spring for moving the drum away from the brakewhen the weight is relieved upon the cords or chains, substantially asspecified.

3. In asuspending device for a lamp or other article, the combination ofan arbor, a drum fitted upon said arbor and capable of moving lengthwiseand rotating thereon, cords or chains wound upon said drum and adaptedto support the lamp or other article, a frame affixed to the arbor, abrake above the drum, guides arranged upon the frame and receiving thecords or chains, a yoke arranged below the drum and adapted to rise andfall, and guides or pulleys mounted on the yoke and receiving the cordsor chains before they pass tothe said guides upon the frame, the sa1dguides upon the frame being arranged at such elevation that the weightof the lamp or other article will operate to cause the yoke to move thedrum upward and render the said brake effective, substantially asspecified.

4. In asuspending device fora lamp or other article, the combinationofan arbor, a drum fitted upon said arbor and capable of mov nglengthwise and rotatingthereon, cords or chains wound upon said drum andadapted to support said lamp or other article, a frame affixed to thearbor, a brake above the drum, guides arranged upon the frame forreceiving the cords or chains, a yoke arranged upon the arbor beneaththe drum and vertically movable upon the arbor, and other guidesarranged upon said yokefor receivingthe cordsor chains, the guides uponthe frame being elevated above the guides upon the yoke, substantiallyas spec1- fied, whereby when the weight of the lamp or other article isbrought to bear upon the cords or chains it will operate to cause thedrum to move upwardly and the brake to be rendered effective, and whensaid weight is removed from the cords or chains the brake will be re- 60leased.

ED WIN H. BRO\VN.

\Vitnesses:

T. J. KEANE, E. T. RooHE.

